RAINY WEEKEND AND MOTHER'S DAY. WE HAVE ALREADY HAD OVER 3 INCHES OF RAIN IN MAQUOKETA THIS MONTH. LAST MAY, JUST OVER 2 INCHES. CLOUDY TODAY AND MORE RAIN IN FORECAST FOR REST OF WEEK.

HAD A GOOD TRIP TO BRANSON. SAW 7 SHOWS AND THE MOST POPULAR
WAS THE DAN O'DONNEL SHOW AND IT WAS ALSO NEARLY 3 HOURS LONG IN A NEARLY FULL 25-HUNDRED SEAT THEATRE. ON THE TRIP WITH ME FROM MAQUOKETA: KATHY AND VERL BANOWETZ...LONNIE HERMAN...
NADINE WOSABA...DARLENE SMALL...AND ARMELLA ILG. THE OTHER 50 PEOPLE WERE FROM NEIGHBORING TOWNS. VERL TOLD ME HE IS PLANNING TO MOVE HIS ANTIQUE STORE BACK TO IT'S ORIGINAL LOCATION NORTH OF TOWN, BUT DID NOT SAY WHEN. THEY WILL HAVE TO MAKE NECESARRY CHANGES FIRST. AND I HOPE IT WILL BE AROUND MAQUOKETA FOR MANY YEARS AS IT BRINGS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO MAQUOKETA EVERY YEAR. SAME FOR THEIR BEAUTIFUL SQUIRES MANOR BED AND BREAKFAST, ONE OF THE FINEST IN THE MIDWEST.

TALKED TO EMILY WILLEY THIS MORNING AND SHE IS RECOVERING FINE FROM HER APRIL INJURIES, INFLICTED BY HER BROTHER, MARK. THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT HER ONE EYE, BUT IT IS DOING FINE ALSO. BEST GUESS IS THAT THE TRIAL WILL BE SOMETIME IN JULY. MARK REMAINS IN CUSTODY AT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER.

THE ATV-CADE, PLANNED BY JACK ROSENBERG AND THE COUNTY ATV CLUB WAS VOTED DOWN LAST WEEK BY THE COUNTY SUPERVISORS.
JACK SAID HE WOULD RETURN WITH ANOTHER PROPOSED ROUTE FOR THE ONE-DAY EVENT THIS SUMMER.

THE KELLY MILLER BROTHERS CIRCUS WILL BE IN MAQUOKETA THIS SATURDAY FOR TWO PERFORMANCES.

BERNIE AND ELEANOR MISHLER OF MAQUOKETA WILL CELEBRATE THEIR 65TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY, MAY 29TH. THEY HAVE ONE DAUGHTER, LINDA MANDERSCHEID IN MAQUOKETA AND TWO GRANDCHILDREN.
BERNIE WAS IN THE CATTLE BUYING AND SELLING BUSINESS FOR MANY YEARS.

BILL HARDIN OF MAQUOKETA CELEBRATED HIS 91ST BIRTHDAY MAY 11TH.
HIS SON STAN, A PHARMACIST AND FORMER KMAQ ANNOUNCER, LIVES IN MAQUOKETA.

FOR 2ND SATURDAY IN A ROW, THE STOCK CAR RACES WERE CANCELLED SATURDAY IN MAQUOKETA BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER.

THIS SATURDAY, THE MAQUOKETA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM WILL PAINT THE STRUCTURE OF GOODENOW FIELD'S NEW BLEACHERS THAT WILL ARRIVE THIS SUMMER. 8 AM UNTIL NOON. ANYONE ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY IS WELCOME TO HELP AND THE LOCAL VOLUNTEERS WILL SAVE THE DISTRICT AROUND $10-15 THOUSAND DOLLAS. PAINT, BRUSHES AND REFRESHMENTS WILL BE FURNISHED. JERRY NELSON, DIRECTOR OF SUPPORT SERVICES, WILL BE IN CHARGE.

FRANCIS ZISMER, AGE 88, OF MAQUOKETA, DIED LAST THURSDAY. OBITURARY CAN BE READ AT www.laheys.com.

HAROLD MORETH, AGE 46, OF MAQUOKETA,DIED LAST WEDNESDAY. HIS OBITUARY CAN ALSO BE READ AT SAME ABOVE ADDRESS.

LAST WEDNESDAY, THERE WAS A LOCK-UP TO BENEFIT MDA IN MAQUOKETA AND OVER $17,000 WAS RAISED. THE MONEY CAME FROM
"BAIL" DONATIONS RAISED BY THOSE WHO WERE LOCKED-UP.

A NEW PRESIDENT HAS BEEN NAMED FOR THE MAQUOKETA AND DEWITT US BANK OFFICES. HE IS JOEL DIECKMANN, A NATIVE OF CALAMUS.
HE LIVES IN DEWITT. HIS WIFE IS A TEACHER IN CLINTON AND THEY HAVE 4 CHILDREN.

CITY COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT.

JUSTIN HEPKER, SON OF LEIGHTON (KMAQ STATION AND SALES MANAGER) AND CINDY OF MAQUOKETA, GRADUATED SATURDAY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA. HE WILL ENTER MED SCHOOL THIS FALL AT ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY. YES, HE IS SMARTER THAN HIS DAD. NO, HE IS NOT SMARTER THAN HIS MOTHER. AND NO, HE DID NOT PICK THAT MED SCHOOL JUST BECAUSE IT IS THE HOME CITY OF THE CARDINALS.
GOOD GOING JUSTIN.

OUR NEIGHBOR, THE MAQUOKETA STATE BANK, JUST FINISHED GETTING NEW CARPETING, AND NOW, G.L. STOCKHAM AND SON CONTRACTORS ARE DOING SOME EXTENSIVE REMODELING IN THE BASEMENT AREA AND WILL ALSO BE INSTALLING AN ELEVATOR.

A NEW SIDEWALK IS BEING POURED THIS WEEK AT THE RESTORED HURST HOTEL, DOWNTOWN. THE 3-PLUS MILLION DOLLAR RENOVATION PROJECT IS NEARING COMPLETION. OVER 20 NEW APARTMENTS IN IT WILL BE OPENING SOON. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE FINISHED PRODUCT.

THE BIG HELION LODGE SUPER BELGIUM WAFFLE BREAKFAST IS THIS SUNDAY AT THE FAIRGROUNDS IN BOYER HALL. TRY AND MAKE THIS
GREAT BREAKFAST.

A WEEK AGO YESTERDAY, I ATTENDED THE MICHELLE EBERHART GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD SENIOR ICE CREAM SOCIAL AND IT WAS A BIG SUCCESS. NICE GOING MICHELLE.
AND I ALSO ATTENDED THE DEDICATION OF THE NORTH BEND COMMUNITY CENTER AT RURAL SPRAGUEVILLE....A 100 YEAR OLD FORMER CHURCH AND SCHOOL THAT WILL NOW SERVE THE COMMUNITY FOR MANY YEARS AS A ONE-ROOM SCHOOL MUSEUM AND MEETING PLACE. A GREAT 5-YEAR COMMUNITY EFFORT.
AND, I ALSO TOOK IN THE OPTIMIST CLUB'S ANNUAL CAR SHOW....WHICH WAS ANOTHER BIG SUCCESS. IT WAS HELD IN PEARSON CENTER ON THE FAIRGROUNDS AND OUTSIDE TOO. SOME BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED CARS AND TRUCKS....AND SOME NOT SO BEAUTIFUL.....LIKE ONE OF THOSE FAT-LOOKING HUDSONS OF THE EARLY 50'S.

HAVE A GOOD WEEK.

DENNIS VOY